Hopple.



CORNELIUS KELLY, OF GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN.

HOPPLE. 'i

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11', 1908.

Application filed September 24, 1907. Serial No. $94,354:.

To alllwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS KELLY, a citizen o f the United States, residimr at Green Bay,.in the county ot Brown and` State of lVisc-onsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Hopples, of which the followmg is a specification.

This invention is a hopple, particularly iriltended for vregulating the gait of trotting horses, and so constructed that when applied to' the front legs of the horse it will equalize the stride and prevent breaking or galloping.

A further object of the invention is to improve the details of such a device as will more fully appear from the following.

The invent-lon is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which i Figure l is a side view showing the same applied to a horse. Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view. Fig. 3 is a section on the line y-y of Fig. 2. Figs. 4 and 5 are details, the latter being a section on the line -x of Fig. 2.

Referring particularly to the drawings, a. indicates a pair of leg straps which are placed around the front legs of the horse, quite close to his body. These leg straps are connected to a lever c by means of couplings b. The lever extends across under the body of the horse behind his front legs, and is pivoted to a loop l which is connected to opposite ends of a girth e which extends around the body of the horse. This girth preferably has elastic sections f, to permit expansion in consequence of breathing. The lever is connected to the couplings and to the loop by )ivot pins n. Between the loop d and the body of the horse is a pad h having a leather facing y', connected to the loop by the pin n., with a washer o between, to prevent wear.

he loop is also connected to back straps' or girths g, which extend up beside the ilanks of the horse and around over his tail. The le@ straps a. are connected to a neck loop m, and said leg straps are also provided with iron ribs or strelwthening pieces L which extend partly around the same under leather covers p, and serve to give the necessary rigidity to the straps so that when the horse attempts to gallop or change his gait they will press against his legs and prevent such action. The girths hold the device in place, and in consequence of the cross bar or lever the opposite action of the front-legs is insured. The pad h. serves to prevent any of the moving parts from coming in contact with the skin of the horse. that the leg straps swing freely, back and forth and sidewise, to accommodate said straps to the motion of the animals legs. The location of the lever behind the front legs is advantageous because it is out of the way, and also because it can be conveniently supported by the band e.

I claim:

A hopple comprising leg straps, a neck loop connected to the front ends of the leg straps, a lever connected to the rear ends of the straps and adapted to extend across under the body of tno horse, a loop having `spaced upper and lower plates at. the front end between which the lever is pivoted, and

means to support the loop under the body of` the horse, com )rising a pad, a pivot pin extending througli said plates and into the pad to form a pivot for the level' and to attach the loop to the pad, and a body girth and tail straps, connected to the loo In testimony whereof I ai Vix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

CORNELIUS KELLY. lVitnesses:

Gonrnnr G. PorP, J. T. WiLsEx.

The couplings b are suchv 

